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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a committee
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. race — humankind
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. board — to get on
  16. race — a contest
  17. present — there
  18. charge — in control
  19. present — the time now
  20. content — the amount
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. race — the arms race
  24. board — a flat piece

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