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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. object — a thing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mine — for digging
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. craft — boats
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tube — a container
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitch — completely
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. drill — army training
  24. saw — the tool

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