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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — the fish
  12. toast — bread
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. row — to paddle
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bass — low music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. content — videos and posts

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