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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ground — crushed
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. suit — clothes
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — there
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — the amount
  12. ground — a position
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. field — for sport
  15. shower — rain
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. present — a gift
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — in cards
  23. field — a subject
  24. suit — to fit

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