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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — a partner
  8. content — the amount
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — a friend
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pit — in a race
  24. content — happy

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