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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. staff — a stick
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rest — what's left
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stock — shares
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. object — to protest
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. content — the amount
  22. rest — a break
  23. staff — employees
  24. content — happy

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