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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. drill — army training
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. content — happy
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — goods
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — a trace
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. club — for golf
  24. wound — an injury

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