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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spring — the season
  3. scale — size or range
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spring — of water
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. scale — in music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pit — a hole
  20. board — a committee
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rock — a stone

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