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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. content — the amount
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. content — happy
  4. club — a group
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. club — for golf
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pop — to visit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — soda
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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