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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. bass — the fish
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — low music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. content — the amount
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. present — the time now
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — in a road
  24. present — a gift

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