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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.

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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: rock · bank · racket · content · row · drill · key · cue

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. content — happy
  8. rock — a stone
  9. drill — army training
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — the amount
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cue — a hint
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rock — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — in music
  22. row — a line
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — for a lock

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