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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bass — low music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a line
  7. present — the time now
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. present — there
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rock — a stone
  15. charge — a price
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. kick — in football
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rock — music
  24. charge — in control

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