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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — happy
  5. file — a tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bank — for money
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. key — the most important part
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. file — a document
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bank — of a river

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