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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pop — music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — completely
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — a hint
  8. content — happy
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fall — the season
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — to shout
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pop — soda
  17. fall — to drop
  18. content — the amount
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — a signal
  24. patient — a sick person

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