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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. band — a music group
  4. board — to get on
  5. object — a thing
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — a committee
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — letters
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bore — to tire
  19. band — a ring
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spell — magic
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. band — a rubber band

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