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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 116 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: mug · leaves · kid · chair · content · row · object · cap

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cap — a hat
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. object — an aim
  7. cap — of ice
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mug — a cup
  10. row — a line
  11. cap — a lid
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kid — to tease
  14. object — to protest
  15. content — the amount
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mug — a face
  22. row — to paddle
  23. kid — child
  24. mug — to rob

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