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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — a thing
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rush — hurry
  13. object — to protest
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. rash — hasty
  23. net — after costs
  24. bear — the animal

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