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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: straw · bank · mouse · pass · sharp · content · chair · mark

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — the amount
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. content — happy
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chair — to sit on

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