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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. land — a country
  4. object — a thing
  5. pit — in a race
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. present — a gift
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. land — to come down
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pit — a hole
  15. object — to protest
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. land — ground
  22. object — an aim
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. snap — to click

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