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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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468
Word bank
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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. firm — decided
  4. present — there
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. firm — a company
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. degree — an amount
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — the time now
  11. firm — steady
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — in sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. degree — temperature
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — in football
  23. present — a gift
  24. rest — a break

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