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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bass — the fish
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — a signal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — a friend
  11. content — happy
  12. track — a path
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mate — to breed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mate — a partner
  21. content — the amount
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bass — low music
  24. coach — a trainer

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