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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. content — happy
  6. roll — a list
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — to confront
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. net — after costs
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pass — a permit
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. face — part of the head
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spell — magic
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spell — letters

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