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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for golf
  3. present — there
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fall — the season
  6. present — a gift
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — a country
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. club — a group
  18. pitch — completely
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fall — to drop
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — a leader
  24. land — to come down

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