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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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 — to protest
  2. pit — in a race
  3. object — a thing
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — a hole
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a music group
  14. chip — to eat
  15. band — a ring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. object — an aim
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bowl — to roll
  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