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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. key — in music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. content — happy
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bark — to shout
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — videos and posts

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