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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. game — wild animals
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pop — soda
  5. game — a match
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — to visit
  12. date — the fruit
  13. perch — the fish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — all right
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. pop — music
  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