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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cap — a hat
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mug — a cup
  11. club — for golf
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pop — soda
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mug — a face
  21. content — happy
  22. club — a group
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chip — for betting

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