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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. object — to protest
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. race — humankind
  13. rash — a series
  14. root — the cause
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. capital — a city
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — of a word
  20. rash — hasty
  21. capital — money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wave — of the sea

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