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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. object — a thing
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. band — a music group
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. game — wild animals
  10. object — to protest
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a ring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — an aim
  24. game — a match

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