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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. net — after costs
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — for catching
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — to confront
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pass — a permit
  17. content — the amount
  18. sharp — clever
  19. content — happy
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. content — videos and posts

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