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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: clip · firm · pop · mug · scale · foot · content · object

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. firm — steady
  3. mug — a face
  4. scale — in music
  5. content — happy
  6. clip — for paper
  7. firm — a company
  8. pop — soda
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. clip — a video
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. firm — decided
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. pop — music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mug — a cup
  21. content — the amount
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. clip — to cut
  24. object — a thing

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