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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bat · key · branch · ball · mouse · pass · content · foot

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pass — a permit
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. content — the amount
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — a division
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. key — in music
  19. content — happy
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bat — the animal

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