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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. present — a gift
  5. clip — a video
  6. club — for dancing
  7. clip — for paper
  8. present — there
  9. club — for golf
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ground — a position
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — hurry
  15. club — a group
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rush — a thrill

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