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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lean — thin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. craft — boats
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. content — the amount
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pit — in a race
  21. craft — a skill
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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