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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rule — government
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — in music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. content — the amount
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. content — happy
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. shower — to wash
  17. scale — size or range
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. scale — in music
  22. rule — a law
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. shower — rain

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