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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. suit — in cards
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fork — in a road
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — clothes
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. content — the amount
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. leaves — of a tree

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