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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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 — the amount
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — for a lock
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. pit — in a race
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — a hole
  11. track — a path
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mine — for digging
  14. track — a song
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. degree — temperature
  20. content — happy
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. key — in music
  23. lie — an untruth
  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