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

Word bank: club · rule · content · fine · perch · kid · bay · suit

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. club — for dancing
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rule — a law
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fine — all right
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — child
  16. content — happy
  17. club — a group
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rule — government
  20. club — for golf
  21. kid — to tease
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bay — a horse colour

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