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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. present — a gift
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. race — humankind
  10. key — for a lock
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. race — the arms race
  14. can — a tin
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. present — the time now
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. race — a contest
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. key — the most important part

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