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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. scale — size or range
  4. last — to go on
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. last — final
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. last — finally
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fan — a supporter

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