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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. bass — the fish
  8. charge — in control
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — low music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — high quality
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fine — all right
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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