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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. content — happy
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — the amount
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rush — hurry
  11. charge — a price
  12. club — a group
  13. charge — in control
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. charge — electricity

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