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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 · chest · club · net · rock · rule · mark · present

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — there
  4. net — for catching
  5. rock — music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. present — a gift
  8. mark — a trace
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. net — in sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for golf
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. present — the time now
  18. content — the amount
  19. chest — a box
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rule — government
  22. content — happy
  23. net — after costs
  24. chest — of your body

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