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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. toast — bread
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. charge — a price
  7. object — a thing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. object — an aim
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. net — for catching
  20. charge — in control
  21. game — a match
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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