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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spell — letters
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — magic
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — all right
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fine — high quality
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cell — in biology
  15. field — a subject
  16. tube — the underground
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. cell — a phone
  20. field — for sport
  21. tube — a container
  22. field — farmland
  23. branch — a division
  24. object — to protest

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