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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — of ice
  3. band — a ring
  4. firm — decided
  5. object — to protest
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cap — a lid
  8. object — a thing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bat — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ground — the earth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — crushed
  23. firm — a company
  24. ground — a position

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