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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. present — the time now
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. staff — employees
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bass — low music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. present — a gift
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — the fish
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. staff — employees
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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