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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. object — a thing
  3. content — the amount
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. firm — decided
  9. object — an aim
  10. mug — a cup
  11. land — ground
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. land — a country
  16. object — to protest
  17. firm — a company
  18. ground — the earth
  19. content — happy
  20. ground — crushed
  21. land — to come down
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ground — a position
  24. scale — size or range

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