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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. shower — rain
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. content — happy
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a grade
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. key — in music
  22. content — the amount
  23. stem — to come from
  24. key — the most important part

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