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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mine — for digging
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. object — an aim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a music group
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. spell — letters
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — magic
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — for light
  16. object — to protest
  17. land — a country
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mark — a grade
  21. land — ground
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. land — to come down

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