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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. firm — a company
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rash — hasty
  8. court — of law
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. court — for sport
  14. firm — decided
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. content — happy
  17. court — of a king
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. content — the amount
  21. rash — a series
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. firm — steady
  24. cue — for pool

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