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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — a company
  3. court — for sport
  4. key — in music
  5. court — of a king
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tear — from crying
  9. object — a thing
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — to rip
  12. content — the amount
  13. key — the most important part
  14. content — happy
  15. court — of law
  16. firm — steady
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim

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