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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — soda
  5. rule — government
  6. content — the amount
  7. rule — a law
  8. roll — a list
  9. pop — music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. content — happy
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pop — to visit
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pit — a hole
  19. saw — the tool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pit — in a race

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