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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. rock — music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mug — a face
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — a path
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. file — a line of people
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. file — a document
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. track — a song
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rock — to move gently

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