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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. content — happy
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — in music
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — the amount
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fall — the season

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