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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bound — certain
  4. content — happy
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — a lid
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. object — a thing
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — an aim
  14. bound — obliged
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — to protest
  23. wind — moving air
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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