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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — in control
  3. present — there
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. present — the time now
  6. season — in sport
  7. band — a music group
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. last — finally
  11. charge — a price
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. game — a match
  14. band — a ring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. last — final
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — to go on
  24. charge — electricity

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