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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
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 · content · row · temple · cap · pop · bass · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. row — a line
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cap — a lid
  5. content — happy
  6. row — to paddle
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cap — a hat
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bass — low music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pop — to visit
  24. content — the amount

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