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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 116 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
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: key · craft · rule · content · pass · ground · hand · bowl

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rule — a law
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. content — the amount
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rule — government
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — the earth
  20. craft — boats
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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