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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. content — the amount
  9. firm — steady
  10. object — to protest
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. object — an aim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — a company
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. content — happy
  20. firm — decided
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. snap — to click
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. march — the month

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