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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. object — to protest
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bound — tied together
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. squash — the sport
  13. tube — a container
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — a trace
  18. prune — to trim
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. object — an aim
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. chip — for betting

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