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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. last — finally
  3. capital — money
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. track — a path
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rash — hasty
  11. capital — a city
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. rash — a series
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. track — a song
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. last — to go on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. chip — to eat
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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