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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · date · pitcher · leaves · staff · content · dip · track

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. staff — employees
  4. date — the fruit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. staff — a stick
  9. dip — to sink
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pop — music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pop — soda
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — a song
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — a path
  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