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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. object — to protest
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. court — of law
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — of a king
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rock — music
  20. track — a song
  21. court — for sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fork — in a road

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