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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. toast — bread
  3. content — happy
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. last — finally
  11. current — electric
  12. content — the amount
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cue — a hint
  19. last — to go on
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cue — for pool
  23. current — happening now
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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