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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.

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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 · fine · track · board · kid · row · content · bowl

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. row — a line
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. key — in music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. board — to get on
  8. key — the most important part
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. track — a song
  12. kid — to tease
  13. board — a committee
  14. fine — all right
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. content — videos and posts

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