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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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 — a thing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. object — to protest
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. season — of the year
  8. ground — a position
  9. file — a document
  10. present — the time now
  11. last — final
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. season — in sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. last — to go on
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — finally
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bear — the animal

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