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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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. bass — the instrument
  4. rock — music
  5. object — a thing
  6. fall — the season
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — a stone
  9. object — an aim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ground — a position
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — to get on
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. board — a committee
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fall — to drop

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