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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · content · track · game · fan · rock · mark · hand

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — a match
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mug — to rob
  10. track — a song
  11. game — wild animals
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rock — music
  18. content — the amount
  19. rock — a stone
  20. track — a path
  21. content — happy
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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