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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. court — for sport
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of law
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. court — of a king
  14. toast — bread
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bank — for money
  22. swing — in golf
  23. content — happy
  24. leaves — lets stay

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