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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — a grade
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — a lid
  8. content — happy
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — of ice
  19. degree — from a university
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. degree — an amount

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