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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · object · stick · season · content · tube · cap · deal

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. tube — the underground
  3. content — happy
  4. object — an aim
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. season — in sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. land — ground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. object — to protest
  24. land — a country

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