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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bass — low music
  3. content — happy
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. root — the cause
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — the amount
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a word
  16. drill — army training
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stock — shares
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. key — in music
  22. stock — goods
  23. drill — a practice
  24. key — for a lock

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