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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. land — ground
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to drill
  12. land — a country
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to tire
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. last — finally
  19. object — an aim
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pop — to visit
  24. last — to go on

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