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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · mark · fan · firm · staff · content

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. staff — employees
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mark — a trace
  12. content — happy
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — the underground
  16. staff — a stick
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady

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