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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. present — there
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. field — for sport
  11. bore — to tire
  12. present — the time now
  13. season — of the year
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. field — farmland
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kick — in football
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — to drill
  24. field — a subject

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