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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · stick · dip · key · content · pass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. key — in music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a skill
  6. key — the most important part
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — happy
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. key — for a lock
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. dip — to dunk

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