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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stem — to come from
  17. object — to protest
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. season — in sport

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