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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — hasty
  3. object — an aim
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — a thing
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. object — to protest
  12. key — the most important part
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — a series
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — in a race
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spell — a short time
  24. key — for a lock

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