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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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. content — the amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a song
  9. content — happy
  10. rest — a break
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. object — an aim
  20. track — to keep track
  21. craft — boats
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. craft — a handicraft

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