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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. land — to come down
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. key — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. key — for a lock
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. land — a country
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — the most important part
  19. game — a match
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. land — ground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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