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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. band — a ring
  8. file — a line of people
  9. club — a group
  10. object — a thing
  11. band — a music group
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. tube — the underground
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. club — for golf
  16. object — to protest
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pound — a weight
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. file — a tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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