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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. object — a thing
  4. deal — to handle
  5. game — a match
  6. cell — in biology
  7. game — wild animals
  8. land — a country
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. band — a ring
  19. cell — a phone
  20. band — a music group
  21. craft — boats
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. object — an aim
  24. deal — an agreement

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