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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 · chest · sharp · march · firm · fan · cue · content

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. content — happy
  3. firm — steady
  4. cue — for pool
  5. content — the amount
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cue — a hint
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — decided
  14. chest — a box
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. suit — clothes
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chest — of your body

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