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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a grade
  3. object — an aim
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pop — soda
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pop — music
  23. object — to protest
  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