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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. board — to get on
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. spring — the season
  11. suit — clothes
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. content — the amount
  14. foot — a measure
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. track — a song
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spell — magic
  21. track — a path
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spring — of water
  24. content — happy

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