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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. object — to protest
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. land — ground
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. land — a country
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bore — to drill
  23. object — a thing
  24. bore — to tire

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