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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — obliged
  6. field — farmland
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — employees
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bound — tied together
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — happy
  13. field — for sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — a subject
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — a thing
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. content — the amount

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