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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bank — for money
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — to protest
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bank — of a river
  13. object — an aim
  14. pit — in a race
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pit — a hole

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