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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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 — an aim
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. land — ground
  4. game — a match
  5. ground — a position
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. land — a country
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. deal — to handle
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. can — to be able to
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — to come down
  21. ground — crushed
  22. object — a thing
  23. game — wild animals
  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