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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. club — a group
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cap — a lid
  5. file — a tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pound — a weight
  11. club — for golf
  12. content — happy
  13. shower — rain
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. file — a document
  20. current — electric
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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