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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. object — a thing
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — in sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — of the year
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. firm — a company
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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