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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ball — a great time
  3. object — an aim
  4. firm — a company
  5. cold — not warm
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a dance
  8. firm — decided
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. object — to protest
  16. press — to push
  17. cold — an illness
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. charge — electricity
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rash — hasty
  24. game — a match

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