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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mug — to rob
  7. perch — the fish
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. content — the amount
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — the month
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ball — a dance
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — completely
  19. content — happy
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. march — music
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  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