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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bark — to shout
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. can — a tin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. present — there
  7. field — a subject
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. field — farmland
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. field — for sport
  18. kick — in football
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. content — videos and posts

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