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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — happy
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. net — for catching
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. chip — to eat
  23. content — the amount
  24. leaves — lets stay

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