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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. swing — music
  3. content — happy
  4. track — a song
  5. press — newspapers
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — a path
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. scale — in music
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitch — completely
  20. swing — in golf
  21. press — to push
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. swing — to play on
  24. track — to keep track

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