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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. board — to get on
  3. fork — in a road
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. content — happy
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. sharp — clever
  24. content — the amount

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