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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. swing — music
  4. cell — a phone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cell — in biology
  8. swing — to play on
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. club — for dancing
  12. tube — a container
  13. club — a group
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. club — for golf
  17. spell — letters
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. spell — magic
  20. content — happy
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. tube — the underground
  23. swing — in golf
  24. content — the amount

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