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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. object — to protest
  4. content — happy
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. toast — bread
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. rash — a series
  11. content — the amount
  12. net — after costs
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — an aim
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rash — hasty
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. object — a thing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. net — in sport

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