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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. content — happy
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rule — government
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stand — to bear
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. deal — to handle
  22. content — the amount
  23. bear — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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