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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — the amount
  6. mug — to rob
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mug — a face
  10. cap — a hat
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cap — a lid
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cap — of ice
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. roll — a cake
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. content — happy
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. roll — a list
  24. mug — a cup

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