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

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. kick — in football
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. rest — a break
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — a cake
  12. content — happy
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. roll — a list
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wind — moving air
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. kick — a thrill

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