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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. land — to come down
  8. object — to protest
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — to play on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. staff — a stick
  16. swing — music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. object — a thing
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. land — a country
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cap — a lid

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