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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mug — a cup
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. row — a line
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — electric
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mug — to rob
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mug — a face
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — all right
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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