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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. net — in sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to tire
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — a trail
  13. net — for catching
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. net — after costs
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — the month

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