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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. content — the amount
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — happy
  8. club — for dancing
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rock — music
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — the sport
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. club — for golf
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — for money

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