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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. content — the amount
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mark — a trace
  12. content — happy
  13. rash — a series
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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