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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. club — for golf
  3. charge — a price
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rest — a break
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. charge — electricity
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. foot — a measure
  10. charge — in control
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. club — for dancing
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. club — a group
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. content — the amount
  24. squash — the sport

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