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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. deal — to handle
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. court — of law
  11. foot — a measure
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. court — for sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. firm — steady
  21. court — of a king
  22. content — happy
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. content — the amount

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