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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rock — a stone
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rock — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. bound — certain
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. scale — in music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitch — completely
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. firm — a company
  24. squash — the sport

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