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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · present · content · key · cap · snap · bowl · ball

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — in music
  4. cap — a hat
  5. content — the amount
  6. ball — a great time
  7. content — happy
  8. cap — of ice
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to click
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fall — the season
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. present — the time now
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fall — to drop

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