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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. key — for a lock
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. content — the amount
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. game — a match
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. game — wild animals
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — a kind of play

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