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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mate — a partner
  3. content — the amount
  4. object — a thing
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. content — happy
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — to be able to
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. fine — high quality
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — all right
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pound — a weight
  18. can — a tin
  19. mate — a friend
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bulb — for light

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