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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. content — happy
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. key — for a lock
  10. content — the amount
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitch — completely
  15. key — the most important part
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — in music
  18. temple — side of the head

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