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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. present — a gift
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ground — the earth
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. present — there
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. racket — a loud noise

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