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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 120 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: pass · land · object · rash · content · staff · deal · pop

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. object — an aim
  4. pass — a permit
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — the amount
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. content — happy
  17. staff — employees
  18. pop — music
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — soda
  21. object — a thing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

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