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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. present — there
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. present — a gift
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. object — a thing
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. object — to protest
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — low music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — thin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. content — happy
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stand — to bear
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. present — the time now

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