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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. content — happy
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. track — a song
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. content — the amount
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tear — from crying
  18. track — a path
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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