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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. content — happy
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. club — for golf
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. club — a group
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. club — for dancing
  18. content — the amount
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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