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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. track — a song
  6. object — an aim
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. present — the time now
  12. content — happy
  13. bound — certain
  14. content — the amount
  15. present — a gift
  16. track — a path
  17. bound — obliged
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — to protest
  20. present — there
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. object — a thing
  24. club — for golf

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