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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — in music
  4. file — a document
  5. land — a country
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a dance
  8. land — to come down
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. key — for a lock
  13. board — to get on
  14. file — a tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. content — the amount
  21. board — a committee
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. land — ground

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