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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. staff — employees
  3. race — a contest
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. pop — to visit
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pop — soda
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spell — magic
  21. pop — music
  22. race — humankind
  23. spell — letters
  24. wind — to turn a key

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