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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — a face
  6. stem — to come from
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — a trace
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ball — a great time
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mark — to pay attention

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