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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. track — a path
  4. shower — rain
  5. content — happy
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. track — a song
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fine — all right
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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