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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. present — the time now
  3. track — a song
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — a path
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. key — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. land — to come down
  11. craft — a skill
  12. present — there
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chair — a leader
  15. key — for a lock
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wind — moving air
  20. craft — boats
  21. land — a country
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. key — the most important part
  24. track — to keep track

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