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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — of a king
  7. game — a match
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — there
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — for sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — a break
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. present — the time now
  19. court — of law
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bank — of a river
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — 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