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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pit — a hole
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. object — an aim
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to click
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. firm — steady
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. track — a song
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — an injury
  17. track — a path
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. firm — decided
  23. stand — to bear
  24. object — to protest

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