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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. firm — decided
  3. toast — bread
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — the month
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. firm — a company
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. branch — a division
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. firm — steady
  17. ball — a great time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ball — a dance
  23. object — a thing
  24. march — music

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