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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — a path
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. squash — the sport
  7. content — happy
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chip — for betting
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — clever
  13. craft — boats
  14. content — the amount
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. track — a song
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pound — a weight
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chip — to eat
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — exactly

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