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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. field — farmland
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bass — low music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. snap — to click
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rock — music
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. object — a thing

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