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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.

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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitch — completely
  4. present — there
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. content — happy
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — the season
  10. spell — magic
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. fall — to drop
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spell — letters
  20. march — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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