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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rule — government
  13. race — a contest
  14. game — a match
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. content — happy
  24. rule — a law

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