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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lean — thin
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. content — happy
  6. stock — shares
  7. fine — high quality
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a path
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. stock — goods
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. track — a song
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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