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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · object · board · land · jam · date · fall · face

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. face — part of the head
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. land — to come down
  7. fall — to drop
  8. object — an aim
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. content — happy
  13. board — to get on
  14. object — a thing
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — a committee
  18. date — the fruit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. land — a country
  21. face — to confront
  22. object — to protest
  23. land — ground
  24. fall — to drop

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