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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — letters
  3. object — an aim
  4. suit — to fit
  5. object — to protest
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — a thing
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. game — wild animals
  10. present — the time now
  11. snap — to click
  12. suit — clothes
  13. game — a match
  14. suit — in cards
  15. board — to get on
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. spell — magic
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spell — a short time
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. present — there
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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