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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — a company
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — a thing
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. scale — in music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. scale — size or range
  24. object — to protest

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