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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pop — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. season — of the year
  6. land — a country
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. land — to come down
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. land — ground
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — the animal

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