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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. object — an aim
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — soda
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. object — a thing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. shower — to wash
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — after costs
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — in music
  21. pop — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — for betting

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