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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — completely
  3. scale — in music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — a path
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — happy
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. content — the amount
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. track — a song
  21. scale — size or range
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. leaves — lets stay

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