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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — to confront
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — electric
  9. content — the amount
  10. stock — shares
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. content — happy
  14. stock — goods
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mark — a grade
  18. current — of water
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. current — happening now
  24. face — to point toward

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