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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bass — low music
  6. track — a song
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bark — to shout
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bass — the fish
  14. firm — a company
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — decided
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. firm — steady
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. content — the amount
  24. nail — on a finger

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