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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. suit — clothes
  3. club — for golf
  4. net — for catching
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pit — in a race
  7. content — happy
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. suit — in cards
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. net — in sport
  17. drill — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. club — a group
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — army training

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