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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. season — of the year
  17. branch — a division
  18. season — in sport
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. present — a gift

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