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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. content — happy
  8. capital — a city
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ground — a position
  23. capital — money
  24. ground — crushed

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