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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ground — a position
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fine — all right
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ground — the earth
  19. track — a song
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. content — happy

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