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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — a group
  7. kid — child
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — in music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. key — for a lock
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rush — hurry
  17. club — for golf
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. content — happy
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — for dancing
  24. content — the amount

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