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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · content · suit · object · bat · can · saw · chest

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. race — humankind
  3. can — to be able to
  4. race — the arms race
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chest — of your body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — to protest
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. race — a contest
  19. object — an aim
  20. suit — in cards
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — a box

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