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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — to come down
  3. fine — all right
  4. wind — moving air
  5. club — for golf
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. object — an aim
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. fine — high quality
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — a thing
  24. mark — a grade

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