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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. dip — to sink
  3. key — for a lock
  4. content — the amount
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cue — a signal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. content — happy
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — electricity
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — a price
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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