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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — a company
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — steady
  8. branch — a division
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. file — a document
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mine — for digging
  19. file — a tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — a supporter

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