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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. content — the amount
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kid — child
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mark — a grade
  12. content — happy
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. track — a path
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rest — what's left

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