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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. season — of the year
  3. object — an aim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. season — in sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. object — a thing
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a line
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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