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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. object — to protest
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pop — soda
  9. ball — a dance
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — a position
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pop — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ground — crushed
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — to visit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. file — a line of people
  24. coach — a trainer

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