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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. object — a thing
  4. fine — high quality
  5. net — in sport
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — to protest
  10. scale — in music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. net — for catching
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fine — all right
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. clip — a video

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