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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a great time
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. track — a song
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. content — the amount
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. content — happy
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. track — to keep track

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