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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pop — soda
  5. last — finally
  6. bore — to drill
  7. object — a thing
  8. pop — music
  9. game — wild animals
  10. last — final
  11. game — a match
  12. bore — to tire
  13. can — to be able to
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. last — to go on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. object — to protest
  20. suit — clothes
  21. can — a tin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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