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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. track — a song
  3. pop — soda
  4. track — to keep track
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — to play on
  8. content — the amount
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bore — to drill
  13. content — happy
  14. fine — all right
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. firm — steady
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — decided
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pop — music

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