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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. net — for catching
  3. land — ground
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. present — the time now
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — after costs
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. land — a country
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — to come down

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