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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mug — a face
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spell — letters
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — happy
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rash — a series
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. content — the amount
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bound — certain

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