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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. content — the amount
  3. board — a committee
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. season — in sport
  10. content — happy
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — to get on
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rock — a stone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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