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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 124 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. board — to get on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — the amount
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. content — happy
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. present — there
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — a gift

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