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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: content · ball · key · lean · date · toast · board · rule

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ball — a great time
  3. toast — bread
  4. content — happy
  5. rule — a law
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. board — a committee
  12. content — the amount
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — government
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. key — in music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — a flat piece

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