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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. land — a country
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. land — ground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bark — to shout
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. firm — a company
  20. rock — music
  21. tube — a container
  22. land — to come down
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — happy

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