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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fine — high quality
  4. track — a path
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cell — a phone
  8. present — the time now
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. track — a song
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — a gift
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. present — there
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — all right

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