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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. drill — a practice
  5. scale — in music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. spell — magic
  8. craft — boats
  9. drill — the tool
  10. object — to protest
  11. wake — a trail
  12. craft — a skill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spell — letters
  19. chip — for betting
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. drill — army training

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