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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. key — the most important part
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pound — a weight
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — in music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. key — for a lock
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — to fit

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