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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. club — a group
  5. season — in sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. can — a tin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — a container
  10. plane — a tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. season — of the year
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. swing — music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — in golf
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. club — for golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. plane — an aircraft

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