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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. club — for golf
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — in sport
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. season — of the year
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — to bear
  23. content — happy
  24. stand — on your feet

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