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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — in music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. kid — child
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fine — all right
  14. content — happy
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. key — for a lock
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pop — soda
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. content — the amount
  24. kid — to tease

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