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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. track — a song
  9. march — the month
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. march — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cue — for pool
  16. content — the amount
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. track — a path
  22. march — the month
  23. track — to keep track
  24. content — happy

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