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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. club — for golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. swing — music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. content — the amount
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bank — of a river
  10. club — a group
  11. stock — shares
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stock — goods
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pit — a hole
  21. swing — in golf
  22. roll — a list
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. roll — a cake

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