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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cold — not warm
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — government
  5. can — a tin
  6. cold — an illness
  7. object — to protest
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. object — a thing
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. key — in music
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. object — an aim
  19. content — happy
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — a law
  24. content — the amount

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