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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — a path
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. content — happy
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lie — to recline
  8. board — to get on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. scale — in music
  14. pop — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. scale — size or range
  21. board — a committee
  22. track — a song
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — the amount

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