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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. content — the amount
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. swing — music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. swing — in golf
  15. content — happy
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — videos and posts

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