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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. object — a thing
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. net — in sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. net — after costs
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — for catching
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bear — the animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bear — to put up with

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