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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. spring — the season
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cap — of ice
  12. content — the amount
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spring — of water
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cap — a hat
  22. content — happy
  23. spring — a coil
  24. vault — a safe

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