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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. object — an aim
  4. content — the amount
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ground — the earth
  15. content — happy
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ground — crushed
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ground — a position
  24. bat — the animal

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