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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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 — an aim
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. object — to protest
  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