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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. game — a match
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fall — the season
  7. game — wild animals
  8. charge — in control
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. object — a thing
  13. charge — a price
  14. object — an aim
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. firm — steady
  24. bass — the fish

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