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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — humankind
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. race — a contest
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. object — a thing
  9. content — happy
  10. rock — a stone
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. object — to protest
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — the amount
  18. capital — a city
  19. ball — a great time
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ball — a dance
  22. capital — money
  23. rock — music
  24. capital — a big letter

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