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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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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: pit · cap · pass · bowl · fine · mark · pound · content

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fine — all right
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fine — high quality
  12. content — happy
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pit — a hole
  17. content — the amount
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pound — a weight
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bowl — a dish

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