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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. present — there
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. branch — a division
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. club — a group
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. toast — bread
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. content — happy
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. club — for golf
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. present — a gift
  23. pass — to spend time
  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