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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — for money
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — the amount
  17. bass — low music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bass — the fish
  24. key — in music

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