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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 · stick · pop · mine · content · shower · key · object

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. key — in music
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. key — for a lock
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. mine — for digging
  9. content — happy
  10. object — an aim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pop — to visit
  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