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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 120 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 do anything ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — magic
  3. net — for catching
  4. pit — a hole
  5. club — for golf
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. content — the amount
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — after costs
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. net — in sport
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rash — a series
  24. club — a group

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