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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pop — soda
  3. file — a tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. present — there
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a great time
  10. board — to get on
  11. mug — to rob
  12. board — a committee
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. spell — magic
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. present — the time now
  18. ball — a dance
  19. season — of the year
  20. mug — a face
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. season — in sport
  24. spell — letters

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