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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bound — tied together
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — a position
  12. net — for catching
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — certain
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — a thing
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bound — obliged
  23. object — to protest
  24. fall — to drop

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