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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a ring
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. content — happy
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. swing — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. rock — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. chip — in a computer

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