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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. content — happy
  6. pop — music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. march — the month
  9. object — a thing
  10. content — the amount
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — an aim
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — soda
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. track — a song
  18. object — to protest
  19. track — a path
  20. march — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fork — a garden tool

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