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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. last — final
  4. object — to protest
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. object — an aim
  7. last — to go on
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pound — a weight
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. last — finally
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. toast — bread
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — music
  22. rest — a break
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — what's left

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