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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. band — a music group
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — the amount
  13. foot — a measure
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — a trail
  16. content — happy
  17. mark — a grade
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. band — a ring
  21. staff — a stick
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mark — a trace

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