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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with 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. object — an aim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mine — for digging
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — a thing
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. present — there
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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