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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. object — a thing
  3. club — a group
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kid — to tease
  11. object — an aim
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. club — for golf
  14. press — to push
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kid — child
  22. fork — in a road
  23. club — for dancing
  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