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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. tube — a container
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hand — help
  19. content — the amount
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. content — happy
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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