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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bat — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. staff — a stick
  7. content — happy
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. key — the most important part
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. staff — employees
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stock — shares
  17. stand — to bear
  18. key — in music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stock — goods
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. content — the amount

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