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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — to keep track
  3. march — music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. squash — the sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. track — a path
  14. key — in music
  15. content — happy
  16. key — the most important part
  17. track — a song
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. squash — to crush
  24. safe — out of danger

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