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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fork — in a road
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — a path
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — to handle
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. track — a song
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bay — a horse colour

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