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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. club — a group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — completely
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. game — wild animals
  10. club — for dancing
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. track — a path
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. club — for golf
  24. track — a song

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