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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. object — an aim
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — a thing
  14. rule — government
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — of a river

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