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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. club — for dancing
  3. firm — decided
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. content — happy
  6. firm — a company
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mug — to rob
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. club — for golf
  13. mug — a cup
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — a face
  17. club — a group
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a great time
  23. tube — a container
  24. present — a gift

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