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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. object — to protest
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rash — a series
  7. deal — to handle
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. object — a thing
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. cap — a lid
  22. object — an aim
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mouse — for a computer

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