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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. deal — to handle
  7. content — the amount
  8. present — there
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. object — to protest
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lean — thin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. content — happy
  15. lean — to bend
  16. kid — child
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. object — an aim
  20. present — the time now
  21. object — a thing
  22. kid — to tease
  23. present — a gift
  24. track — to keep track

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