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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. content — happy
  3. fall — the season
  4. mug — to rob
  5. foot — a measure
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. club — for dancing
  8. date — the fruit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. content — the amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. club — for golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — a face
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. club — a group
  24. date — on the calendar

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