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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. can — a tin
  6. present — there
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. last — final
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. cap — a hat
  19. last — to go on
  20. charge — in control
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bowl — a dish

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