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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. key — the most important part
  5. shower — to wash
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. shower — rain
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. squash — the sport
  16. key — in music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — the amount
  20. cap — a lid
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kick — in football
  23. key — for a lock
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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