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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: content · object · sharp · mine · present · rock · deal · ball

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. content — the amount
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — the time now
  11. object — to protest
  12. sharp — clever
  13. object — a thing
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. present — a gift
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. content — happy

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