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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. firm — a company
  4. bass — low music
  5. march — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — to tease
  11. object — to protest
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — child
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a great time
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. snap — to click
  23. bass — the fish
  24. firm — decided

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