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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bark — to shout
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ground — a position
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — happy
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — the fruit
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. ground — crushed
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — the earth

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