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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — after costs
  13. tube — a container
  14. drill — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — an aim
  17. drill — army training
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tube — the underground
  20. game — a match
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. game — wild animals

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