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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. content — the amount
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pop — soda
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. season — in sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. content — happy
  19. band — a ring
  20. pop — to visit
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. date — the fruit
  24. racket — a loud noise

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