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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: game · mark · wound · cabinet · content · sharp · mate · bear

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. content — happy
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — clever
  18. content — the amount
  19. mark — a grade
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. game — a match

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