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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bound — certain
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bass — low music
  6. fall — the season
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. content — happy
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. club — a group
  14. wax — to grow
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — tied together
  22. content — the amount
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fall — to drop

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