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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. court — of law
  4. object — a thing
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — happy
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. object — to protest
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bore — to tire
  18. content — the amount
  19. key — in music
  20. object — an aim
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. court — for sport

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