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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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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: content · cell · object · cue · lean · saw · pound · fork

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — an aim
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. content — happy
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. lean — thin
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. object — to protest

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