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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. spell — magic
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stand — to bear
  8. club — a group
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. club — for golf
  11. content — the amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — letters
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bear — the animal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spell — a short time
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lash — to lash out
  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.

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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