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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. present — the time now
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rash — a series
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — soda
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — there
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kick — in football
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — music
  19. present — a gift
  20. pop — to visit
  21. track — a path
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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