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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rule — government
  4. firm — a company
  5. object — to protest
  6. file — a line of people
  7. content — happy
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. swing — music
  10. file — a document
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. swing — in golf
  13. object — an aim
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. content — the amount
  16. rule — a law
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. firm — decided
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. swing — to play on
  24. firm — steady

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