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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · present · pop · bay · cap · saw · last · ball

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. last — final
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fine — all right
  8. last — to go on
  9. present — there
  10. cap — a lid
  11. present — the time now
  12. pop — music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cap — a hat
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pop — soda
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. last — finally
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — a gift

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