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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. drill — a practice
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — the tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — to tire
  10. march — the month
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. march — the month
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wake — a trail
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. content — the amount
  21. perch — the fish
  22. drill — army training
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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