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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. dip — to sink
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. season — of the year
  5. face — to point toward
  6. season — in sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. content — happy
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — in music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. face — to confront
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — the most important part
  18. content — the amount
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stock — shares
  21. face — part of the head
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. squash — the sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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