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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. content — happy
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. track — a path
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fine — high quality
  19. suit — clothes
  20. content — the amount
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. foot — the bottom

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