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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tube — a container
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. content — happy
  8. craft — a skill
  9. shower — to wash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. tube — the underground
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — rain
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for dancing

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