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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cold — not warm
  3. fine — high quality
  4. track — a song
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pop — soda
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — the amount
  12. pop — to visit
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cold — an illness
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. track — a path
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fine — all right
  24. cold — the Cold War

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