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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. toast — bread
  10. content — happy
  11. spring — the season
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cold — not warm

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