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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. net — in sport
  3. key — the most important part
  4. snap — to click
  5. net — for catching
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. staff — employees
  9. track — a path
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — for a lock
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. key — in music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. net — after costs
  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