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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. season — in sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rule — a law
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — to protest
  10. season — of the year
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — government

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