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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.

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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. shower — to wash
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mine — for digging
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stock — shares
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. object — to protest
  11. stock — goods
  12. bat — the animal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. shower — rain
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. object — an aim
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. deal — a big deal

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