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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. content — the amount
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bass — the fish
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. content — happy
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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