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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — a group
  7. content — the amount
  8. suit — clothes
  9. present — the time now
  10. suit — to fit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. content — happy
  13. last — to go on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. last — finally
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. last — final
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. club — for dancing
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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