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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. object — an aim
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. can — to be able to
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wake — a trail
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. object — a thing

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