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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — to eat
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cell — in biology
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — an aim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — a thing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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