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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. march — the month
  4. mug — a face
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wind — moving air
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. march — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — the amount
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — happy
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fan — a supporter

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