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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a ring
  6. dip — to sink
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ground — crushed
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. object — an aim
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. band — a music group
  17. mug — to rob
  18. file — a tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — of law
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — a part of something

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