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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. charge — a price
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — the underground
  10. roll — a cake
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tube — a container
  15. toast — bread
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. charge — in control
  21. roll — a list
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. toast — the most admired

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