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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. content — the amount
  4. pop — music
  5. track — a song
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — happy
  9. board — to get on
  10. track — a path
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — a committee
  18. tear — from crying
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spring — the season
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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