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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rule — government
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — a series
  13. rule — a law
  14. content — the amount
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for dancing
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — lets stay

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