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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rash — a series
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. club — a group
  6. rest — what's left
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. can — a tin
  12. rest — a break
  13. content — happy
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. content — the amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for dancing
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. charge — a price
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. court — for 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