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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rush — hurry
  4. object — an aim
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. game — a match
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. present — there
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. present — a gift
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. object — to protest
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — a face
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — a thing
  24. bulb — for light

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