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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ground — the earth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ground — a position
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. content — happy
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — crushed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stock — shares
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stock — a soup base

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