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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. content — the amount
  3. rock — music
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. race — humankind
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. net — in sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. deal — to handle
  12. board — to get on
  13. object — an aim
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. net — for catching
  19. board — a committee
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. content — happy

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