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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bass — low music
  9. spring — of water
  10. rule — a law
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rule — government
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cap — a hat
  19. present — a gift
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spring — the season

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