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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. content — the amount
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. content — happy
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. club — a group
  9. current — of water
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. current — electric
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. current — happening now
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bank — of a river

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