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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 · mark · foot · net · capital · cell · wake · pop

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mark — a trace
  3. net — in sport
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pop — soda
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. foot — a measure
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. cell — in biology
  12. net — for catching
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pop — music
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. foot — the bottom

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