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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.

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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — happy
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — a trainer

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