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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — certain
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — soda
  7. bound — tied together
  8. present — there
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rash — hasty
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rash — a series
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — to visit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — a gift
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pop — music

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