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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. track — a path
  6. root — of a plant
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. track — a song
  9. object — an aim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bat — the animal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — a thing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. root — the cause
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. root — of a word
  23. track — to keep track
  24. game — a match

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