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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. key — the most important part
  5. content — happy
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. shower — to wash
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pitch — completely
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — in music
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. content — the amount
  18. shower — rain
  19. key — for a lock
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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