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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · arm · bass

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

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. object — to protest
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — an aim
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. net — after costs
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — a thing
  12. pop — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bass — low music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. net — for catching
  19. content — happy
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. content — the amount
  23. pop — soda
  24. arm — part of the body

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