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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. key — for a lock
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. content — the amount
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. key — in music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. content — happy
  21. swing — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — for light

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