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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — electricity
  5. present — a gift
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ground — crushed
  9. present — the time now
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. club — for golf
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — a group
  19. charge — a price
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pass — a permit

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