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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. land — to come down
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. march — the month
  5. object — a thing
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cue — a signal
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — for digging
  13. land — a country
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — newspapers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. march — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. press — to push
  23. land — ground
  24. mine — an explosive

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