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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — the amount
  8. staff — a stick
  9. net — after costs
  10. court — of a king
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — in sport
  13. court — of law
  14. lie — to recline
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. content — happy
  20. net — for catching
  21. key — in music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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