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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. squash — the sport
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — to be able to
  13. charge — a price
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. charge — electricity
  16. key — for a lock
  17. object — to protest
  18. key — in music
  19. net — for catching
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. charge — in control
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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