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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. content — happy
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. object — to protest
  5. root — the cause
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — the amount
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — of law
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — a thing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. court — of a king
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. root — of a plant

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