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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: last · key · bulb · rush · content · ball · band · kick

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. last — to go on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. key — in music
  12. rush — hurry
  13. content — the amount
  14. band — a ring
  15. content — happy
  16. last — final
  17. band — a music group
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kick — in football
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a rubber band

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