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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pass — a permit
  8. swing — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. object — to protest
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. content — the amount
  21. wound — an injury
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wound — an injury

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