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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — a gift
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — a path
  10. present — there
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a song
  18. club — for golf
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fine — all right
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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