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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. swing — to play on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. row — a line
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. content — the amount
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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