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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. last — finally
  6. march — the month
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — a trail
  9. last — final
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. march — the month
  17. game — a match
  18. last — to go on
  19. march — music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — an aim
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. object — to protest

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