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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. firm — decided
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cell — in biology
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — after costs
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. drill — a practice
  13. net — in sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. net — for catching
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. firm — steady
  19. last — to go on
  20. scale — in music
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. firm — a company

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