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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. club — a group
  3. rock — a stone
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. club — for golf
  21. rash — a series
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — hasty
  24. suit — clothes

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