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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. key — for a lock
  3. race — humankind
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. content — happy
  12. race — a contest
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — the arms race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. key — in music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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