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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pound — a weight
  3. game — a match
  4. content — happy
  5. firm — steady
  6. staff — a stick
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. firm — a company
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. content — the amount
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — decided
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fork — in a road
  23. staff — employees
  24. rock — a stone

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