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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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 — an aim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. object — a thing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. current — electric
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mark — a trace
  16. suit — clothes
  17. current — happening now
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — of water
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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