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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — a break
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitch — completely
  8. land — to come down
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ground — a position
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rush — hurry
  17. land — ground
  18. object — to protest
  19. deal — to handle
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. land — a country

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