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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — electricity
  3. present — the time now
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. march — the month
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — for catching
  11. root — the cause
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. march — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. net — in sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — there
  23. net — after costs
  24. lie — to recline

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