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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — help
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — there
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. board — a committee
  8. pop — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pop — to visit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — to get on
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bat — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pop — soda
  22. rock — music
  23. present — the time now
  24. rock — a stone

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