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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. drill — army training
  3. staff — employees
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bank — of a river
  13. object — to protest
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. object — a thing
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. bank — for money
  24. chip — in a computer

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