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

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. content — happy
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. content — the amount
  17. ball — a dance
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — a match
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — a jug

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