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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spring — a coil
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — of water
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mark — a trace
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spring — the season
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — a grade
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. key — the most important part
  23. content — the amount
  24. racket — a loud noise

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