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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kid — to tease
  10. last — finally
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. content — happy
  13. key — in music
  14. last — final
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. last — to go on
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — child
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. track — to keep track

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