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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. content — the amount
  5. saw — the tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — in music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cue — for pool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — for a lock
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cue — a hint
  22. club — a group
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cell — in a prison

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