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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. object — an aim
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. march — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. march — the month
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — a permit
  12. band — a music group
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. present — there
  15. net — in sport
  16. band — a ring
  17. object — a thing
  18. march — the month
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. squash — to crush
  22. net — after costs
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. dip — to sink

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