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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chip — for betting
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stand — to bear
  13. season — of the year
  14. club — for golf
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. scale — in music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. club — a group
  21. content — the amount
  22. tear — to rip
  23. season — in sport
  24. stand — on your feet

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