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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. craft — boats
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pit — in a race
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. club — for golf
  16. row — to paddle
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rush — hurry
  19. club — a group
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bank — of a river
  23. row — a line
  24. pit — a hole

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