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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. can — to be able to
  3. face — part of the head
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. content — the amount
  12. rash — a series
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. content — happy
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cue — a hint
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. key — the most important part

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