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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  3. bass — the fish
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hand — help
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. object — to protest
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. cue — a signal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. sharp — clever
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — low music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. file — a tool
  24. object — a thing

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