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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. object — an aim
  3. spell — letters
  4. pit — a hole
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. object — a thing
  7. content — the amount
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spell — magic
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. club — for golf
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spell — a short time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. club — for dancing
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — happy
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cap — of ice

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