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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. content — the amount
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. kick — in football
  5. march — the month
  6. roll — a cake
  7. march — music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. roll — a list
  15. content — happy
  16. march — the month
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. key — in music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stand — for spectators

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