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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. land — to come down
  3. key — in music
  4. land — ground
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. club — a group
  7. pop — soda
  8. content — the amount
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. land — a country
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. content — happy
  20. squash — to crush
  21. club — for golf
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pop — to visit

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