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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. field — for sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — a line
  8. field — farmland
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bat — the animal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — a subject
  17. bear — the animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. rash — a series
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rock — to move gently

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