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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ball — a dance
  4. object — a thing
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. band — a ring
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitch — completely
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. band — a music group
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. object — an aim
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. perch — for a bird

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