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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — a thing
  4. row — a line
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. track — a song
  9. charge — a price
  10. pound — a weight
  11. track — a path
  12. cap — a lid
  13. track — to keep track
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stock — shares
  17. object — an aim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. can — a tin

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