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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pop — music
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. present — the time now
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chair — a leader
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pop — soda
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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