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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. present — a gift
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bound — tied together
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — for a lock
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. present — there
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. squash — to crush
  20. key — in music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — the time now
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bound — obliged

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