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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. present — there
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bank — for money
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bank — for money
  12. toast — bread
  13. clip — a video
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — a gift
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chair — a leader
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bat — the animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — of a river

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