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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — finally
  4. charge — electricity
  5. march — music
  6. charge — a price
  7. object — to protest
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — from a university
  10. last — to go on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. charge — in control
  13. degree — temperature
  14. march — the month
  15. object — a thing
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. march — the month
  24. last — final

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