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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — to go on
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — hasty
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. object — an aim
  14. cap — a lid
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rash — a series
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. content — the amount
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — final
  24. cap — a hat

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