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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 124 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — a measure
  12. object — a thing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — a match
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. clip — to cut
  22. object — to protest
  23. clip — a video
  24. can — to be able to

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