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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. object — a thing
  4. court — of law
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. object — an aim
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rule — government
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — a law
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. court — of a king
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. court — for sport
  24. pound — a weight

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