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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · bowl · mug · bat · pop · content · cabinet · pit

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pop — soda
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mug — a face
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bowl — to roll

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