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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. object — a thing
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — to protest
  6. drill — army training
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — a gift
  12. drill — the tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. tube — a container
  15. bat — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rock — a stone
  19. present — there
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. object — an aim
  22. game — a match
  23. present — the time now
  24. rock — to move gently

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