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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. track — to keep track
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ball — a dance
  13. suit — to fit
  14. track — a song
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. date — the fruit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — happy
  24. track — a path

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