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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rest — a break
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stock — goods
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. content — the amount
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rest — what's left
  20. content — happy
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. chest — a box
  24. stock — shares

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