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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cell — a phone
  5. present — the time now
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. toast — bread
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mark — a trace
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bear — the animal
  18. date — the fruit
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — low music
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. present — a gift
  24. track — a song

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