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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. object — to protest
  5. deal — to handle
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a cup
  9. track — a song
  10. season — of the year
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mug — to rob
  15. season — in sport
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. object — an aim
  18. track — a path

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