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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ground — crushed
  5. content — the amount
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mine — for digging
  9. press — to push
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. content — happy
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cue — a hint
  15. object — to protest
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ground — a position
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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