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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. content — happy
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. root — of a word
  5. content — the amount
  6. pound — a weight
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. object — to protest
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. game — wild animals
  19. root — the cause
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. object — an aim
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. game — a match

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