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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — the time now
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. prune — to trim
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a list
  17. present — there
  18. content — the amount
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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