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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. content — the amount
  5. object — a thing
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. band — a music group
  8. court — of law
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. band — a ring
  11. staff — employees
  12. object — an aim
  13. staff — a stick
  14. object — to protest
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. content — happy
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mark — a grade
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a trace
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — a trail

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