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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wake — a trail
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — magic
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — ground
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. racket — for tennis

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