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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stand — to bear
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. content — happy
  11. rash — hasty
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rash — a series
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. prune — to trim

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