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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. deal — to handle
  13. field — farmland
  14. content — the amount
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — for sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. content — happy
  20. dip — to sink
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bank — of a river

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