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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · race · club · wake · fine · perch · tube · content

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. spell — magic
  6. fine — all right
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. content — happy
  10. club — for golf
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. spell — letters
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fine — high quality
  19. race — humankind
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. content — the amount
  23. perch — the fish
  24. spell — a short time

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