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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mark — a grade
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a hint
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tube — the underground
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kick — in football
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — for pool
  17. season — in sport
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tube — a container
  20. key — in music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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