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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — a company
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. track — a path
  17. firm — decided
  18. content — happy
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — a song
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rock — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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