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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cap — a hat
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — to recline
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — electric
  13. content — happy
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a lid
  20. key — in music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. current — happening now
  23. key — for a lock
  24. content — the amount

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