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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — electricity
  7. track — a song
  8. plane — a tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — to keep track
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. track — a path
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. object — a thing
  21. game — wild animals
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. object — an aim

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