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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. staff — a stick
  12. content — happy
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cell — a phone
  17. staff — employees
  18. mark — a trace
  19. date — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — electric
  22. foot — a measure
  23. current — of water
  24. mark — to pay attention

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