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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. bound — certain
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. object — an aim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — hurry
  24. branch — of a tree

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