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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — a break
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kid — child
  8. court — of a king
  9. spell — letters
  10. court — of law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spell — magic
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — to protest
  20. court — for sport
  21. kid — to tease
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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