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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ground — a position
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. content — happy
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. snap — to click
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — the earth
  23. game — a match
  24. leaves — to go away

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