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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. object — an aim
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. object — to protest
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — to eat
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. present — a gift
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. object — a thing
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — soda
  24. present — the time now

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