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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 120 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. key — in music
  3. content — happy
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — for catching
  6. band — a ring
  7. track — to keep track
  8. content — the amount
  9. track — a path
  10. key — the most important part
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — a song
  14. net — in sport
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. net — after costs
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — for a lock
  19. band — a music group
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. plane — a tool

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