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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: wound · object · ground · rush · content · cue · deal · bulb

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. object — to protest
  6. content — happy
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — a position
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. content — the amount
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — hurry

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