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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: fan · object · march · toast · ball · key · content · craft

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. key — for a lock
  3. object — to protest
  4. craft — boats
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. object — an aim
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — happy
  11. ball — a dance
  12. content — the amount
  13. key — in music
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. object — a thing
  17. key — the most important part
  18. craft — a skill
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — bread
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — music

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