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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · land · key · dip · content · arm · track · firm

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. key — for a lock
  3. content — the amount
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — a line
  6. key — the most important part
  7. content — happy
  8. key — in music
  9. land — to come down
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. track — a song
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — a company
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. track — to keep track
  19. row — to paddle
  20. land — ground
  21. firm — decided
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. land — a country
  24. firm — steady

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