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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — a friend
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — happy
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — a partner
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. sharp — clever
  14. club — for golf
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for dancing
  18. can — a tin
  19. content — the amount
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mate — to breed
  23. squash — the sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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