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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: suit · track · mark · fan · cell · ground · content · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. content — happy
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cell — in biology
  12. shower — rain
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ground — crushed
  16. shower — to wash
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ground — a position
  19. track — a path
  20. mark — a trace
  21. suit — to fit
  22. track — a song
  23. content — the amount
  24. fan — a supporter

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