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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pop — music
  5. rock — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — the amount
  9. field — farmland
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pop — soda
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — a trail
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lie — to recline
  21. field — a subject
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. content — happy
  24. ball — a great time

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