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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. content — the amount
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cue — a hint
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cue — for pool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a song
  23. clip — to cut
  24. content — happy

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