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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — of ice
  5. object — an aim
  6. present — there
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bat — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. object — to protest
  12. present — the time now
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bound — obliged
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bound — tied together
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — a lid
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. object — a thing

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