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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. squash — the sport
  3. track — a song
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. staff — a stick
  6. dip — to sink
  7. content — happy
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — to keep track
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — in music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. content — the amount
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. scale — size or range
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ruler — for measuring

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