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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · suit · club · rash · stick · pop · rush · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. club — for golf
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kid — child
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. club — for dancing
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — a series
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. content — the amount
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pop — soda
  20. content — happy
  21. rash — hasty
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pop — music

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