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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. suit — to fit
  7. file — a tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mine — for digging
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. file — a document
  15. swing — in golf
  16. toast — bread
  17. present — there
  18. swing — music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fork — in a road
  24. suit — clothes

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