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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. club — a group
  5. current — of water
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. current — electric
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. present — the time now
  20. current — happening now
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. present — a gift

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