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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. land — to come down
  4. charge — a price
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. object — to protest
  7. charge — electricity
  8. net — for catching
  9. object — a thing
  10. land — a country
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — to drill
  13. land — ground
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. charge — in control

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