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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hand — help
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. object — a thing
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. object — an aim
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mine — for digging

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