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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. land — to come down
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. club — for dancing
  11. land — ground
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — to eat
  18. present — a gift
  19. land — a country
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — there
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com