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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. band — a music group
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. capital — money
  7. object — an aim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. club — a group
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a ring
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — a thing
  19. capital — a city
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. object — to protest
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for golf

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