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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — clothes
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — soda
  6. suit — to fit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pit — a hole
  10. snap — to click
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. content — the amount
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. content — happy
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pop — music

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