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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kid — to tease
  5. spell — magic
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. object — to protest
  8. kid — child
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. charge — a price
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chest — a box
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — low music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. object — an aim

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