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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — the earth
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. can — to be able to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. can — a tin

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