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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: mark · fall · dip · ball · bat · perch · object · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. fall — the season
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. content — happy
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. object — a thing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — an aim
  13. perch — the fish
  14. object — to protest
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — the amount
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. perch — for a bird

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