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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · branch · fine · game · squash · key · content · chair

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. squash — to crush
  5. branch — a division
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chair — a leader
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ball — a great time
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fine — all right
  20. key — for a lock
  21. game — a match
  22. ball — a dance
  23. key — in music
  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