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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pop — to visit
  4. net — after costs
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. net — for catching
  7. club — a group
  8. net — in sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pop — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — soda
  17. club — for golf
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. key — in music
  22. plane — a tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. key — the most important part

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