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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hand — help
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — in cards
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — happy
  18. track — a path
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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