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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — in sport
  10. object — an aim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — hurry
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. net — for catching
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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