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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — music
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — to come from
  11. present — there
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. current — happening now
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. present — the time now
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. deal — an agreement

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