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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chair — a leader
  6. present — there
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a document
  11. band — a music group
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. file — a tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. game — a match
  17. file — a line of people
  18. band — a ring
  19. present — a gift
  20. game — wild animals
  21. craft — a skill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. ball — a great time
  24. craft — boats

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