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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. file — a tool
  4. roll — a cake
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. present — a gift
  11. file — a line of people
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. file — a document
  14. content — happy
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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