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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. key — in music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — the amount
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. key — for a lock
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. toast — bread
  13. rest — a break
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — the most important part
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a ring

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