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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. track — a path
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. charge — electricity
  6. present — a gift
  7. object — to protest
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. squash — to crush
  10. track — to keep track
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. present — there
  16. charge — in control
  17. object — an aim
  18. present — the time now
  19. object — a thing
  20. charge — a price
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. track — a song
  24. squash — the sport

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