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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spell — letters
  3. tube — a container
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. object — to protest
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — the underground
  15. present — the time now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — to crush
  19. spell — magic
  20. present — there
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. tube — in a tire

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