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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. firm — a company
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. present — the time now
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. firm — steady
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. firm — decided
  15. mate — a partner
  16. current — of water
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — to shout
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mine — for digging

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