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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. object — a thing
  3. present — the time now
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pop — soda
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rest — a break
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pop — music
  12. present — there
  13. rock — music
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — what's left
  16. object — an aim
  17. present — a gift
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — a trail
  20. net — for catching
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. net — after costs
  23. pop — to visit
  24. net — in 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