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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: suit · content · stand · toast · mark · fine · cell · pitcher

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. content — happy
  3. toast — bread
  4. mark — a trace
  5. content — the amount
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cell — a phone
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fine — all right
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stand — for spectators

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