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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — a country
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. vault — a safe
  15. present — the time now
  16. bass — the fish
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bass — low music
  19. land — to come down
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. land — ground
  22. present — there
  23. row — a line
  24. chip — in a computer

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