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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. present — the time now
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. content — the amount
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. present — a gift
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. content — happy
  10. object — a thing
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. kick — in football
  14. object — an aim
  15. pass — a permit
  16. object — to protest
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. content — videos and posts

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