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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. can — a tin
  2. present — there
  3. bank — for money
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — to breed
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mate — a friend
  13. content — happy
  14. can — to be able to
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — a gift
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. present — the time now
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. deal — to handle
  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