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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: content · firm · sharp · mark · march · season · fan · cap

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mark — a grade
  5. march — the month
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — a company
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. season — in sport
  13. march — music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. content — the amount
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. firm — decided
  22. cap — of ice
  23. content — happy
  24. season — of the year

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