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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. present — a gift
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. object — to protest
  5. present — the time now
  6. cell — a phone
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — there
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in biology
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cell — in a prison

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