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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pass — a permit
  5. firm — a company
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. firm — steady
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. swing — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — the time now
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. content — happy
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. content — the amount
  24. staff — employees

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