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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · net · pop · content · cabinet · wind

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. content — happy
  7. pop — music
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — after costs
  13. pop — soda
  14. wind — moving air
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — to visit
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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