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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mark — a trace
  6. present — a gift
  7. file — a tool
  8. rock — music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. game — a match
  11. ground — crushed
  12. file — a line of people
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. file — a document
  16. ground — a position
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — a grade
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — the earth
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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