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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. shower — to wash
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. object — to protest
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bore — to tire
  7. content — the amount
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — for a lock
  13. object — a thing
  14. shower — rain
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a ring
  19. key — in music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. object — an aim

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