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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — the sport
  6. band — a ring
  7. pound — a weight
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — a thing
  18. content — the amount
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — to crush
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. content — happy

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