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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. key — for a lock
  3. board — a committee
  4. pit — a hole
  5. content — the amount
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cap — a hat
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. can — to be able to
  15. board — to get on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — of ice
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — all right
  24. key — in music

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