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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. swing — in golf
  3. march — the month
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. content — the amount
  8. rule — a law
  9. snap — to click
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. march — music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. swing — music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. content — happy
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rule — government

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