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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — happy
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — for a lock
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. key — in music

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