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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. court — for sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to confront
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. court — of a king
  11. pit — in a race
  12. present — there
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. court — of law
  18. pit — a hole
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pop — music

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