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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. toast — bread
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fine — all right
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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