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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. present — there
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pound — a weight
  16. board — to get on
  17. stock — goods
  18. content — happy
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mark — a grade
  21. board — a committee
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. content — the amount
  24. pitcher — a jug

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