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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chip — to eat
  3. object — an aim
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. toast — bread
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — tied together
  14. present — the time now
  15. chip — for betting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. present — there
  24. patient — a sick person

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