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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — a thing
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — a committee
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — in control
  8. bat — the animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. board — to get on
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. object — an aim
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — a price
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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