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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. content — happy
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — a face
  6. mark — a grade
  7. content — the amount
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mug — a cup
  11. present — a gift
  12. suit — clothes
  13. date — the fruit
  14. suit — to fit
  15. staff — a stick
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. present — there
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. present — the time now

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