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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitch — completely
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. last — final
  8. shower — to wash
  9. present — a gift
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — to protest
  14. last — finally
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — an aim
  17. present — there
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — a group
  22. last — to go on
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. foot — a measure

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