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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ball — a dance
  4. land — ground
  5. current — electric
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. object — to protest
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. land — a country
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — of water
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. land — to come down
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — an aim

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