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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. content — the amount
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — happy
  5. mate — a partner
  6. track — a path
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. season — of the year
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. track — a song
  16. season — in sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rock — a stone
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mark — a grade

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