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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. tear — to rip
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. march — the month
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stock — goods
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tear — from crying
  11. roll — a list
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. tear — from crying
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. content — happy

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