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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. can — to be able to
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — to keep track
  8. object — an aim
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. track — a song
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a path
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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