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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. key — in music
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — the amount
  8. current — electric
  9. cold — an illness
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — not warm
  12. land — a country
  13. key — the most important part
  14. current — happening now
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. content — happy
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. can — to be able to
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. current — of water
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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