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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. fork — in a road
  6. land — to come down
  7. content — the amount
  8. stock — shares
  9. bank — of a river
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. land — ground
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. clip — a video
  20. land — a country
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. bank — for money

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