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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. content — the amount
  4. stock — shares
  5. content — happy
  6. present — a gift
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. present — there
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — a trace
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stock — goods
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tube — a container
  23. fall — to drop
  24. present — the time now

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