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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. content — happy
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — the amount
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rest — a break
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. craft — boats
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pop — soda
  24. jam — in traffic

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