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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. suit — to fit
  3. content — the amount
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. staff — employees
  7. club — for golf
  8. capital — money
  9. staff — employees
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. capital — a city
  14. suit — in cards
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — clothes
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. staff — a stick
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. club — a group
  24. content — happy

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