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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 124 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. present — the time now
  4. clip — to cut
  5. present — there
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. root — the cause
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — a gift
  11. root — of a word
  12. clip — a video
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. object — to protest
  23. clip — for paper
  24. object — an aim

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