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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. last — to go on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. last — finally
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. content — happy
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. roll — a cake
  19. deal — to handle
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. roll — a list
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. last — final
  24. roll — on a roll

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