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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. present — there
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. present — the time now
  13. drill — the tool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bass — low music
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. foot — a measure
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the fish
  22. sharp — clever
  23. drill — army training
  24. sharp — exactly

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