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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stock — goods
  3. fork — in a road
  4. foot — a measure
  5. content — happy
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — the amount
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rule — government
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — shares
  23. rash — a series
  24. fork — a garden tool

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