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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — the amount
  4. swing — to play on
  5. file — a document
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a song
  8. swing — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pit — in a race
  11. swing — in golf
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. track — a path
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. file — a line of people
  22. content — happy
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pit — a hole

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