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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tube — a container
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. tube — the underground
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bat — the animal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spell — magic
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — to protest
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — after costs
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bass — low music
  23. object — an aim
  24. spell — a short time

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