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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chair — a leader
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — a subject
  5. land — to come down
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. craft — a skill
  8. can — a tin
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. spell — a short time
  11. field — for sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. field — farmland
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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