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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — to protest
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fine — high quality
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. can — to be able to
  10. drill — a practice
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. game — wild animals
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a match
  19. drill — the tool
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — army training
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — a penalty

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