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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: rush · bank · pop · temple · sharp · content · club · cabinet

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pop — to visit
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bank — for money
  10. sharp — clever
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. club — a group
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bank — for money
  22. club — for golf
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. content — happy

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