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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. club — a group
  5. cue — a signal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. club — for golf
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cue — for pool
  13. last — final
  14. content — happy
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — for betting
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. last — to go on
  20. club — for dancing
  21. content — the amount
  22. last — finally
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chip — to eat

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