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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. track — a path
  5. content — happy
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. track — a song
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — the amount
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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