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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mate — to breed
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fork — in a road

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