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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 124 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. band — a music group
  3. object — a thing
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — to protest
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pit — in a race
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — a hole
  20. club — a group
  21. court — of law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — of a king
  24. club — for golf

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