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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. can — a tin
  5. club — for golf
  6. bore — to drill
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — humankind
  17. content — the amount
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. club — for dancing
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. club — a group
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rest — a break

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