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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — clothes
  3. band — a ring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — ground
  7. present — a gift
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. land — to come down
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. suit — in cards
  16. land — a country
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. game — wild animals
  19. present — the time now
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. present — there
  24. can — to be able to

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