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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. content — happy
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bass — low music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. object — to protest
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. content — the amount
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — of water
  16. cell — a phone
  17. object — a thing
  18. mug — a face
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. rash — a series
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cell — in a prison

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