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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: firm · object · row · content · ball · bay · mine · root

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. content — the amount
  4. object — a thing
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. root — of a word
  7. object — an aim
  8. firm — steady
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ball — a dance
  11. root — of a plant
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. firm — a company
  15. root — the cause
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. object — to protest
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ball — a great time
  22. firm — decided
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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