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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. fine — all right
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fine — high quality

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