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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — a hint
  11. deal — to handle
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cue — a signal
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. content — happy
  19. spring — of water
  20. content — the amount
  21. pound — a weight
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spring — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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