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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — the amount
  7. track — to keep track
  8. file — a document
  9. rash — hasty
  10. track — a song
  11. scale — size or range
  12. file — a tool
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. content — happy
  17. rock — a stone
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rash — a series
  24. scale — in 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