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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: roll · spell · content · cell · toast · net · pit · mate

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. spell — magic
  3. net — for catching
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — in sport
  9. roll — a list
  10. spell — a short time
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. spell — letters
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cell — a phone
  17. net — after costs
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. toast — bread
  22. cell — in biology
  23. content — the amount
  24. pit — a hole

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