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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. staff — employees
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — to protest
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. present — a gift
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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