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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. content — the amount
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. content — happy
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pop — soda
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bear — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. trunk — of a car

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