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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. content — the amount
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. object — a thing
  7. bore — to drill
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. march — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. content — happy
  20. march — the month
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — to tire
  23. arm — a part of something
  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