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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. file — a tool
  4. key — in music
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stand — to bear
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. file — a document
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. squash — the sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — to crush
  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