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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spell — magic
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spell — a short time
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spell — letters
  17. roll — a list
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — a path
  20. cue — for pool
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cue — a hint
  24. roll — a cake

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