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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a path
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stock — goods
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. track — to keep track
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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