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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. key — in music
  3. present — there
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. file — a tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. content — happy
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. present — the time now
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — a gift
  19. file — a document
  20. lean — to bend
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — thin
  24. file — a line of people

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