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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pop — soda
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pop — music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fine — all right
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pop — to visit
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — to protest
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. object — a thing

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