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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. file — a document
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. object — a thing
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — in control
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a line of people
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — to fit
  14. game — wild animals
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — a price
  19. object — an aim
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. game — a match
  23. file — a tool
  24. bass — low music

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