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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. firm — decided
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. object — a thing
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ground — a position
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — steady
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. firm — a company
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — the earth

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