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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: suit · fan · cell · prune · toast · content · race · mark

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mark — a grade
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. content — the amount
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. content — happy
  11. race — a contest
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — in biology
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cell — a phone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mark — a trace
  24. race — humankind

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