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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. field — a subject
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. field — farmland
  15. mate — a partner
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mate — a friend
  24. suit — in cards

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