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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — a group
  7. rush — hurry
  8. content — happy
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. season — of the year
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. content — the amount
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rock — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. capital — a city
  22. club — for golf
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lie — an untruth

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