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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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. hand — in cards
  4. present — there
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — help
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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