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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. content — the amount
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. press — to push
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. club — for golf
  14. content — happy
  15. cue — a signal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. press — newspapers
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bear — the animal

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