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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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 — to protest
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mine — for digging
  4. track — a song
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — a path
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. track — to keep track
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. object — an aim
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — for sport
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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