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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. object — an aim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spell — letters
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — magic
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. last — to go on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — finally
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — a short time
  23. squash — to crush
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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