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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pop — soda
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pop — music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. kick — in football
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. band — a ring
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chip — to eat
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. object — a thing
  24. mouse — for a computer

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