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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — an aim
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. object — to protest
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — of the leg

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