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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — the time now
  4. plane — a tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rock — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. capital — money
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. capital — a city
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. season — in sport
  22. wake — a trail
  23. present — there
  24. plane — an aircraft

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