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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. craft — boats
  6. content — the amount
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. face — to point toward
  11. content — happy
  12. face — to confront
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. face — part of the head
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. court — for sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. court — of law
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — of a king
  22. net — for catching
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bear — to put up with

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