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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stock — shares
  6. row — to paddle
  7. board — a committee
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. band — a music group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. board — to get on
  18. dip — to sink
  19. row — a line
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — goods
  23. content — the amount
  24. band — a ring

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