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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 124 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — a thing
  3. row — a line
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — shares
  12. spell — a short time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — goods
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. spell — letters
  24. cap — of ice

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