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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. court — of a king
  3. track — a song
  4. squash — the sport
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. court — of law
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — to crush
  11. content — happy
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — a permit
  18. court — for sport
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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