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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. court — of law
  3. object — a thing
  4. rock — music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. court — of a king
  8. band — a music group
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. court — for sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rock — a stone
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. bound — certain
  17. club — for golf
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a ring
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. object — an aim
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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