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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. firm — decided
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. perch — the fish
  12. firm — steady
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. firm — a company
  16. present — there
  17. chair — a leader
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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