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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — a trail
  3. board — a committee
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. content — happy
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. root — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. content — the amount
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — the most important part

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