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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cap — a lid
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. current — electric
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — decided
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — for a lock
  10. firm — a company
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. firm — steady
  19. race — the arms race
  20. content — happy
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. content — the amount
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cap — a hat

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