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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. pop — soda
  6. track — a song
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — a path
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. spell — letters
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pop — music
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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