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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bank — for money
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cue — a signal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. craft — boats
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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