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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.

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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rock — music
  3. mug — a face
  4. object — a thing
  5. track — to keep track
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — the amount
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. track — a song
  11. chip — to eat
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. mug — to rob
  15. object — to protest
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — happy
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — an aim

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