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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. content — the amount
  3. march — the month
  4. chair — a leader
  5. march — music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. hand — help
  13. cell — a phone
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. content — happy
  21. hand — in cards
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hand — part of the body

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