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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. can — a tin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — all right
  5. firm — a company
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. row — a line
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. firm — steady
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fine — high quality
  14. present — a gift
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. present — there
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. can — to be able to
  23. game — a match
  24. firm — decided

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