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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. net — in sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. object — a thing
  6. craft — boats
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. present — the time now
  9. object — to protest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. craft — a skill
  13. content — the amount
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. present — there
  19. tear — from crying
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mark — a grade
  22. content — happy
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tear — to rip

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