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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. file — a tool
  3. content — happy
  4. cue — a signal
  5. file — a document
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a line of people
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cue — for pool
  16. firm — decided
  17. scale — size or range
  18. can — to be able to
  19. firm — a company
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bank — of a river
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — steady
  24. cue — a hint

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