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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. craft — boats
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. content — the amount
  9. object — an aim
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. object — to protest
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — a thing
  15. content — happy
  16. pop — music
  17. key — in music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pop — soda
  24. craft — a skill

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