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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pop — soda
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a song
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spring — of water
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spring — the season
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spring — a coil
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. content — happy
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. dip — a sauce

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