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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: foot · content · bowl · object · deal · clip · cap · shower

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. foot — a measure
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. content — the amount
  8. clip — for paper
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. shower — rain
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. deal — to handle
  24. foot — the bottom

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