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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. content — happy
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a line
  7. content — the amount
  8. can — a tin
  9. object — an aim
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — of water
  12. firm — decided
  13. row — to paddle
  14. firm — steady
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — happening now
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. object — a thing

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