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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — a break
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — army training
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. key — the most important part
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. net — after costs
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. content — happy
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. net — for catching
  24. plane — an aircraft

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