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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. content — happy
  7. bat — the animal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. last — final
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — to go on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. last — finally
  15. stock — shares
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. key — for a lock
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. key — in music
  20. content — the amount
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — for baseball
  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