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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.

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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: wake · sharp · pop · mark · content · land · staff · bank

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. staff — employees
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. content — the amount
  10. mark — a grade
  11. land — to come down
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — soda
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pop — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. content — happy
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — to visit
  23. land — a country
  24. wake — before a funeral

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