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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mate — a friend
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pit — a hole
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — the cause
  15. content — the amount
  16. root — of a word
  17. pop — soda
  18. scale — in music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mate — to breed
  22. content — happy
  23. root — of a plant
  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