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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — a lid
  3. can — to be able to
  4. object — a thing
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. game — a match
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cap — of ice
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mug — to rob
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — wild animals
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — in control
  19. pound — a weight
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mug — a face
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pound — for dogs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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