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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — in sport
  4. present — there
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — of the year
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitch — completely
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — a break
  22. present — a gift
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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