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

Word bank: march · wave · content · can · firm · court · kid · object

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. content — the amount
  3. object — a thing
  4. march — the month
  5. court — of a king
  6. firm — steady
  7. object — an aim
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. content — happy
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. object — to protest
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. firm — decided
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wave — with your hand

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