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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. object — an aim
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. object — to protest
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — a match
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — to trim
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. saw — the tool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — a thing
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — high quality

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