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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. file — a tool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. content — happy
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. board — a committee
  16. bear — the animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. rule — a law
  21. track — a song
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — government

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