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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. present — a gift
  3. march — the month
  4. land — ground
  5. present — the time now
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. suit — in cards
  8. land — a country
  9. kick — in football
  10. ground — crushed
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. ground — the earth
  18. present — there
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ground — a position
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pound — a weight
  24. march — music

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