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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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. cue — a hint
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. roll — a list
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. content — happy
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. content — the amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bowl — to roll

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