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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. key — in music
  3. club — for golf
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. key — for a lock
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. season — in sport
  10. file — a line of people
  11. club — for dancing
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. present — a gift
  14. content — happy
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — the most important part
  17. club — a group
  18. present — there
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. file — a document
  23. present — the time now
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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