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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. present — the time now
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. present — there
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. swing — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. swing — to play on

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