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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mug — a face
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — all right
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cell — in biology
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ground — crushed
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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