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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — happy
  4. pitch — completely
  5. craft — boats
  6. rest — a break
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. club — for dancing
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. content — the amount
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. spell — magic
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — letters
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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