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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stock — goods
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. season — in sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. content — happy
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. plane — a tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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