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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — to keep track
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. track — a song
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. content — happy
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. shower — to wash
  17. track — a path
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitch — completely
  20. firm — steady
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. leaves — lets stay

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