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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. content — happy
  3. mate — to breed
  4. firm — a company
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — finally
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. last — final
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — of water
  14. mate — a partner
  15. last — to go on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — in music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. content — the amount
  24. key — the most important part

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