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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. club — a group
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. key — in music
  9. stock — shares
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — happy
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — the earth
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ground — a position
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chair — a leader
  23. club — for golf
  24. key — for a lock

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