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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. present — the time now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — all right
  8. bark — to shout
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — in music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. present — there
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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