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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: deal · net · cue · mark · present · suit · content · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. present — the time now
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. present — a gift
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — the amount
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — to fit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. present — there
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a grade
  16. net — after costs
  17. content — happy
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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