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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pop — soda
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — shares
  11. present — a gift
  12. stock — goods
  13. present — the time now
  14. pop — music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. present — there
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. ball — a dance
  23. track — a path
  24. pound — to hit hard

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