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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. club — a group
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mark — a grade
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — a trace
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — a stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. content — the amount
  19. rush — hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. club — for golf
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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