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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. content — the amount
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a grade
  17. firm — decided
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pop — soda
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pop — music
  24. pit — a hole

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