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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. ball — a dance
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. band — a ring
  10. content — the amount
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a music group
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. content — happy
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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