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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wake — a trail
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. object — to protest
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — for sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. key — the most important part
  15. field — a subject
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. content — happy
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — an aim
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. field — farmland
  22. object — a thing
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bear — to put up with

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