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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. face — to point toward
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mate — to breed
  8. face — to confront
  9. mate — a friend
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stock — goods
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — for digging
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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