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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. season — of the year
  3. fall — the season
  4. content — the amount
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — there
  7. spring — a coil
  8. present — the time now
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — of water
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — the season
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. season — in sport
  24. content — happy

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