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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. cue — for pool
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. club — a group
  6. content — happy
  7. branch — a division
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. content — the amount
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cue — a signal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. snap — to click

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