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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. file — a document
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — to keep track
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. toast — bread
  11. track — a path
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a tool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. track — a song
  16. ground — crushed
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. craft — boats
  19. content — the amount
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. content — happy
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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