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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. track — a path
  4. object — to protest
  5. pop — soda
  6. clip — to cut
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. clip — a video
  9. track — a song
  10. content — happy
  11. pop — music
  12. object — an aim
  13. mark — a grade
  14. object — a thing
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mark — a trace
  18. squash — the sport
  19. content — the amount
  20. bulb — for light
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bulb — for light

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