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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rash — a series
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — a thing
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — an aim
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. object — to protest
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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