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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. object — an aim
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. squash — the sport
  6. present — there
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. squash — to crush
  9. object — to protest
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — the amount
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ground — crushed
  20. object — a thing
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. present — the time now
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — to bear

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