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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: present · object · land · bore · cabinet · pass · club · content

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. 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. present — a gift
  2. bore — to tire
  3. object — a thing
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. land — to come down
  9. content — the amount
  10. object — to protest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. land — a country
  15. pass — a permit
  16. land — ground
  17. bore — to drill
  18. present — the time now
  19. object — an aim
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. club — for dancing
  22. present — there
  23. content — happy
  24. 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