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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a ring
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — a break
  7. firm — decided
  8. rest — what's left
  9. object — a thing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. object — an aim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — a company
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pop — to visit
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. band — a music group
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pop — soda
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fan — to cool the air

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