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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. suit — to fit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chip — for betting
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a partner
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mate — to breed
  11. present — a gift
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — to eat
  17. suit — clothes
  18. present — there
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chip — in a computer

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