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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — a position
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — high quality
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fine — all right
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — a container
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cap — of ice
  24. staff — employees

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