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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. net — for catching
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. swing — music
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cap — of ice
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. court — of a king
  13. cap — a hat
  14. swing — to play on
  15. season — of the year
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. net — after costs
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. net — in sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. present — there

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