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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. net — for catching
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — a cup
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mug — a face
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. net — in sport
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — hasty
  20. content — the amount
  21. club — for golf
  22. mug — to rob
  23. club — a group
  24. can — to be able to

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