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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — a path
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. content — the amount
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — a container
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pop — music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. track — a song
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cue — a signal
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — in a race

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