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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.

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: key · content · season · bear · racket · file · capital · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. key — in music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. capital — money
  15. season — of the year
  16. content — the amount
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. file — a document
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. content — happy
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. key — the most important part

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