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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. court — of law
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — steady
  12. court — for sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. object — a thing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — of a king
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to drill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. bore — gave birth

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