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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rash — hasty
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fork — in a road
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — for a lock
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rash — a series
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — of water
  24. mine — belonging to me

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