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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. march — the month
  3. object — to protest
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chest — of your body
  7. content — the amount
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chest — a box
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bound — certain
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — a thing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — a friend
  18. content — happy
  19. march — music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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