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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. prune — to trim
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — to protest
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mouse — the animal

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