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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a song
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — the amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a path
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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