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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. rush — hurry
  8. band — a music group
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a ring
  19. club — for golf
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. club — for dancing

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