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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — a weight
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — a committee
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stem — to come from
  19. board — to get on
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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