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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. perch — the fish
  4. club — for dancing
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — a group
  7. fine — high quality
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — happy
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. content — the amount
  23. pound — a weight
  24. perch — for a bird

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