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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fine — high quality
  6. march — music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. content — happy
  9. pass — a permit
  10. march — the month
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — all right
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — a trail
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. suit — to fit
  24. march — the month

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