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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. content — happy
  3. land — to come down
  4. firm — a company
  5. content — the amount
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fine — all right
  8. firm — decided
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — letters
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. land — a country
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. land — ground
  19. firm — steady
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. content — videos and posts
  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