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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. foot — a measure
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. root — of a word
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. root — the cause
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. vault — a safe
  20. root — of a plant
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. jam — in traffic

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