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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. object — an aim
  9. spell — magic
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rule — government
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. object — a thing
  16. track — a path
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rule — a law
  20. track — to keep track
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. tube — the underground

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