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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: content · arm · object · drill · pound · roll · cap · lean

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. object — a thing
  3. cap — a hat
  4. content — happy
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. drill — army training
  7. roll — a cake
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lean — thin
  10. roll — a list
  11. object — an aim
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lean — to bend
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — a lid
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — to protest
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. drill — a practice
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pound — a weight

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