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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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 — happy
  2. pit — in a race
  3. content — the amount
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pop — to visit
  11. club — a group
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pop — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pop — soda
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tube — a container
  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