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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. key — the most important part
  4. track — a song
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. current — electric
  8. key — for a lock
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. current — happening now
  11. track — a path
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. roll — a list
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — in music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. current — of water
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. track — to keep track

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