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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rock — music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a path
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. content — happy
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — a stone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lash — to lash out

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