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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. content — the amount
  4. toast — bread
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. roll — a list
  10. pass — a permit
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. roll — a cake
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. firm — steady
  18. content — happy
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kid — child
  24. pass — to succeed

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