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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: jam · fine · object · pound · tear · kick · leaves · content

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. content — happy
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. object — an aim
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tear — from crying
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. object — to protest
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. object — a thing
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. tear — to rip
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fine — high quality
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fine — all right

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