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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. net — for catching
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. key — in music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — happy
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mark — a grade
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. net — in sport
  17. key — the most important part
  18. net — after costs

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