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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. date — the fruit
  3. track — a path
  4. content — happy
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cue — a hint
  10. content — the amount
  11. track — a song
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to click
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. track — to keep track
  24. date — on the calendar

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