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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ball — a great time
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. content — happy
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. net — for catching
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — in music
  21. net — after costs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cell — a phone

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