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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. march — music
  3. present — the time now
  4. cue — a signal
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chip — for betting
  8. present — a gift
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chest — a box
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. net — after costs
  15. cue — for pool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — low music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. net — for catching
  23. cue — a hint
  24. march — the month

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