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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chair — a leader
  3. charge — a price
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. squash — to crush
  13. charge — in control
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pound — a weight
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — in music
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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