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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. track — a song
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. track — to keep track
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — a path
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. net — after costs
  16. content — happy
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. net — for catching
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. net — in sport
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — a trail
  24. deal — a big deal

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