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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. net — in sport
  10. land — ground
  11. net — for catching
  12. chip — to eat
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — a thing
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fine — high quality
  20. land — to come down
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. chip — for betting
  24. land — a country

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