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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — soda
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — in sport
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pop — music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pop — to visit
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. net — after costs
  20. stand — to bear
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. net — for catching
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — with an edge

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