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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. firm — a company
  6. land — to come down
  7. firm — steady
  8. content — the amount
  9. pit — in a race
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. firm — decided
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a trace
  16. content — happy
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. land — a country
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — ground
  23. pit — a hole
  24. jam — a tight spot

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