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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. club — for dancing
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. firm — steady
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. content — happy
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. track — a song
  16. firm — a company
  17. content — the amount
  18. firm — decided
  19. chest — of your body
  20. club — for golf
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chest — of your body
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chest — a box

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