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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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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — to crush
  4. club — for golf
  5. squash — the sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. suit — to fit
  13. content — the amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. club — a group
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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