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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. content — happy
  3. kick — in football
  4. content — the amount
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pit — in a race
  14. deal — to handle
  15. club — for golf
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. club — a group
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. press — a publisher

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