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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pop — to visit
  4. content — happy
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pop — soda
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — to fit
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pop — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — a weight
  16. suit — clothes
  17. content — the amount
  18. pound — for dogs

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