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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — the fish
  3. content — the amount
  4. branch — a division
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — happy
  10. squash — to crush
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stock — shares
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tube — a container
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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