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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. object — to protest
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — an aim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fork — in a road
  16. content — happy
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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