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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a lid
  8. object — to protest
  9. content — the amount
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — happy
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. object — an aim
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — hurry

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